After the build of anticipation, the 63rd Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, March 14. With exciting performances, tough competition, and record holders, fans tuned in from around the world to support their favorite artists. 

     Excitement boomed from around the world as Harry Styles accepted his first ever Grammy Award for his pop solo performance of “Watermelon Sugar.” Senior Jayden Weiman predicted this win last month, and she says she was so proud to see him win. “Watching Harry Styles win his first Grammy was literally the best night of my life,” says Weiman. “He deserved it!”

    Styles also opened the show with an upbeat performance of this song, his first time taking the stage since December. Rocking a leather suit and a green boa, Styles and his band brought the energy with an exciting opening performance. Weiman says this performance is now her favorite from him. 

     Beyoncé made history this year with her 28th win, breaking the record for the most Grammys by a female artist. Senior Ben Ewers shares his excitement and love for the singer, saying, “It makes me feel so proud as such a huge fan of Beyoncé to see her winning and getting this recognition because she truly deserves it. She has worked so hard for all of her accomplishments and success.” 

     Beyoncé took home four awards from her nine nominated categories. “She is always outdoing and elevating herself as a performer. She is such an inspiration and icon,” Ewers adds. Her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, also took home her first award for her role in the music video for “Brown Skin Girl.” Two of these four awards were received from a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion for Beyoncé’s feature on the remix of “Savage.” Megan Thee Stallion also won Best New Artist.

     Taylor Swift accepted her third Album Of The Year award at this year’s show, making her the first female artist to receive this award three times. Senior Emily Johnson had hoped for this win for Swift, and after hearing the news, she says she could not imagine anyone else receiving that award. “Her album ‘Folklore’ is so good and she is such an inspiring person. She fully deserved this,” says Johnson. Swift also performed a medley of songs, some from the award winning album, in a scenic indoor setting. 

     Swift and Beyoncé made history as an award winning female artists, but awards show itself catered towards the inclusion of women and people of color. The nominees in the Best Country Album award and Best Rock Performance were all female or bands with a female lead. Also, the nominees for Best New Artist were all women or POC.

     Although many artists broke records, received first time awards, and performed their hit songs, this year’s Grammy ratings hit an all-time low. According to Deadline News, only 8.8 million people tuned in for the show, down by 61 percent from last year. Some artists are also commenting on the possibility of the show being rigged, and fans are now referring to the show as the “Scammy’s.”

     Singer Zayn Malik spoke out on Twitter about the Recording Academy, where he wrote, “Unless you shake hands and send gifts, there’s no nomination considerations,” despite releasing an album after the eligibility period, which is leading to great speculation about the show, especially after fans and artists had hoped for nominations for songs that had performed well.